Week 57- Oh it is wonderful to me!

1) the 'mountain' in Oklahoma, Mount Scott today

2) Our wonderful recent convert, Juan along with his brother, Junior who really wants to get baptized but is only 7 still. We really love that family a lot. :)

Hey all y'all! (Sister Cox loves it when I say that. Not)

Wonderful week here in good ol' Oklahoma. The sun's a shinin', humidities a'risin', and we've got lots of missionaries who are bracing themselves for quite the summer ahead. Or should I say... TAN LINES. I'm excited for mine.

Aaaaanyways.

It's official, Sister Cox and I are sticking around Lawton for another transfer. I'm excited! I've never had a companion for this long not to mention an area. I'm grateful. 

Gabriella's baptism was moved to this Saturday for various reasons but no fear, 'TWILL HAPPEN.

Interesting mission experience that I have yet to write in the journal:

We were on exchanges Thursday night and Sister Griner and I were together in our area. We received a referral from a member in the ward (fist pump) and had our first appointment with them that night. Our member picked us up and unbeknownst to us, with her grandson and his wife who were driving. Nice! Well, we piled into the back of this little car and raced (not really, just sounds better when I say it like that) to the appointment. The referrals name's are Danielle and Petey and their children. Well..it was interesting. It was dark out when we got there and Petey (he's black) took us into a back room with incense burning in the center. We then all gathered around in this tiny room with their 4 children and it was just, well, kind of weird. Went well though! We're excited for them. Seeing them tonight. :)

Ft. Sill's going well! We're continuing to see miracles. I taught the first lesson yesterday and when I walked into the room, about 35 soldiers turned their heads about simultaneously to look at me. I rather froze and swallowed a few times, and then walked to the front of the echo'ey room. It was so wonderful though!! SO many members brought their non member battle buddies and we've certainly never taught a class that size before! A few accepted Baptismal dates and so 'huzzah', work's rolling forward. 

Want you to know that I love you all. Keep on loving to do the basics in this gospel, Church, Prayer and Read (CPR) and you will certainly a happy life! I mean, it IS called the plan of happiness.

Sister Call

Week 56-1000 Miles in the car in 1 week...worth it though.

This week has been one absolute whirlwind. (I would say Tornado in okie terms..but I won't seeing as the season is a comin')

We started off with going to Stillwater on Sunday for the baptism of someone Sister Cox taught when she was there. On Wednesday we then went to the city for an LTM (Leadership Training Meeting.) Thursday we went to the Temple! (So wonderful) Friday we went to Elgin for District Meeting for a set of Sisters we're over. And then the finale, we drove to the city Friday night, spent the night, and at 5 in the morning piled on a bus with the entire mission to Tulsa to listen to Elder D. Todd Christofferson.

How amazing. I can't describe the power of his authority, in all reality. They sectioned off the front for sisters and senior couples and because of that, Sister Cox and I were about 10 feet away from him the entire time. One of our AP's (Assistants to the President), Elder Debenham was conducting, and I don't think I've ever seen that Elder stutter so much or turn more pale. Elder Christofferson went up and grabbed that Elder in a huge hug right when he got up there, and..he felt a little better after that.

He then asked if he could shake all of our hands. Certainly. :) We all went up and when I looked into his eyes and shook his hand, I honestly felt such genuine love that he had for me. He murmured "Good morning" to me even. There you go. And then when it came to his talk, amazing!

He seriously touched on everything that I feel that has been my struggles the past 4 months. He opened it up to a question and answer session at the end and that was only incredible too! Finally at the end, I know that the Spirit was talking to me specifically through his words as he promised us blessings, that we were going to feel the Spirit more in our efforts as we searched for it, and that it was going to be felt in our testifying and teaching. He let us know that Christ's grace is sufficient. It was beautiful and true and I know that my Heavenly Father knows me and is more than aware of what is going through my heart and mind every day out here. I can't describe the comfort that that is. I know He loves me and that this gospel is true that we're out here sharing every day. My heart is just full of gratitude. I really can feel myself changing.

Gabriella is getting baptized this Saturday and Sister Cox and I are so excited. That sounds pretty hollow, but it's true. She has the chance to have Eternal Life now. It's such a big deal when the reality of this gospel hits you. I just want to testify to you all that whoever is reading this, I know that my Savior is real and so is His sacrifice. I know that His gospel is true and that it is the only way to reach Salvation. I am just so grateful that my realization of this is increasing every day. And in turn, it's making me just feel more of a wonderful push to get out the door every morning to happily testify to people of this fact. They HAVE to know! And yes, perhaps they won't accept at this time, but you know what? Salvation is just too important. Trust your real Father in Heaven, 'doubt not, fear not' and open your mouth. 

I love you and I can't express the overwhelming gratitude I feel realizing that I am a part of Heavenly Father's true church on the earth, the way to live in this life and the life after.

Sister Call

PS. I'm sorry that this email might have come across as 'preachy'. It's just really been on my mind that past couple of months.

Week 54- The Spirit; the most wonderful gift we can have in this life.

This gospel is just so beautiful and true. I'm sorry that I'm out of time for this week again. Time is one of my enemies out here. Bah. He just goes by so fast and I'm just trying to to think about how I've already been out over a year.

Everyone is doing pretty well. Juan is getting involved in Scouts, that beautiful kid. We have really just come to love him a little more every time we see him. We're now teaching his younger brother, Julian, who saw his brother's example and wants to follow him! 

Gabriella asked her LA uncle to baptize her! Hopefully the spirit will kick him into action and he'll be worthy to do so..we'll see. We think he lives in Anadarko. 

I know this Church is Christ's true church. In it, we are able to have this real peace that I am completely convinced cannot be found anywhere else. For those feelings can only come through Christ and what He did for us because He's walked it already. He's overcome and been there and His hand is able to lead us through it all if we allow him too.

 And goodbye to my younger brother Ford! Words can't tell you just how proud and excited I am to see the man that you're going to become.

Love you all, very much.

Sister Call

This is mom, Priscilla and Ford were able to correspond a bit through e-mail yesterday.  My heart was warmed with the love and adoration these two siblings have for each other.  I have homeschooled all the children.  There was a time, in Idaho, when these two children were inseparable. For almost a month during summer, they set up a tent on the porch and slept in it.  They read through the "Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites series." Ford idolizes Priscilla.  What a wonderful time for them!  What a blessing to be a mother!

Week 53- Running out of subject headlines

This is mom, we didn't get a letter last week.... :(  Priscilla got online briefly, but then she emailed and said, "We need to go and do some service for a member, I will try to get back online and write later."....she never got back online,  she's dedicated to the work!!!!

Howdy howdy,

This week *siiigh* what happened this week...

I'LL TELL YOU!!!!!

The Lord's helping us with getting more and more members out with us lately and just in the past few nights crazy things happened. We were out with Sister Perez and she was driving us to a lesson with Kirsti. She kind of got quiet for a second and then said, "You know, if this lesson doesn't happen, I think I'm going to drive you over to my friends because she needs to hear about the gospel."  ......!Wut the?? YES YES YES. (It didn't fall through..but we're still meeting with her!) And then we were out with Sister Marks and she was on the phone with a friend for a minute while we were in the car and she kind of looked at us, looked at her phone, then looked at us again and paused. "Heather...I've got two girls that I would really like you to meet" WADUBASCHA.

Missionary work is so much FUN. So simple and fun. We're just really trying hard to work with our members still with building their trust but then asking those hard questions "Who do you know that you would love to be able to see come closer to Christ"? We don't want to jump right into it right away and seem like "those pushy missionaries"..but come on everyone. That's our purpose! We only have a year and a half to do this, and there is absolutely no room for fluff. Dinner hour at members houses is really if you think about it, the best finding hour of the day! So we're just trying to find ways that we can constantly improve it and build member TRUST and not friendships. No fluff. Members will respect us more and we will be able to baptize more wonderful children of God. Win win situation.

Kay, I'm done.

The Rodriguez's are doing okay. They just really need more faith in the Law of Chastity and EXERCISING their faith. And through that then the blessings will come. It's really just that leap of faith that they need to first take. Brother Rodriguez told us point blank the other night "Sisters, I really want to get baptized and I'm tired of waiting." We then told him that he needed to have faith in Heavenly Father and move out because Sister Rodriguez is super wishy washy about them getting married, not ready if she wants to make that commitment (plus she still needs to get divorced) and so it's not going to happen for a while it sounds like. But yet they still love each other..*siiigh* we're just really trying to follow the Spirit with that wonderful family because they want to get baptized but they need to have more faith and just decide what they're going to do.

Everyone else is plugging right along beautifully towards Baptism. Gabriella's still on track for getting baptized the 27th sooo it's going to happen!

 Sister Call

So I can't remember if I sent this or not..but it's a field that has ( you can't see them in the pic) but honestly about 150+ groudhogs popping up all over the place in it. Love it. Groundhogs day anyone?